Basket Cases

[David Lahey]

I've been rebuilding an old trials bike for a friend and found something interesting with the TY250 forks that's probably worth sharing. It can take the form of a quiz if anyone is interested so we'll start that way.
The photo shows the bottom ends of two TY250 damper rods. The bottom damper rod is a standard setup from another TY250. The upper damper rod shows a thing that was screwed into the bottom end of the damper rod when I got it. I've taken it out for the photo. Both forks were set up like that on my friend's bike.
What is that thing?
What does it do?
Why was it there?

[brent j]

Looks like someone was trying to increase travel.

It will make for flexi forks due to less overlap

[Bully fanatic]

That was an old trick for making more travel in the forks. So I agree with BrentJ. I`ve done it on a set of TM 250 forks when I had to put them on my RM125S as the TM forks had less travel. Wow that was a long time ago!

[David Lahey]

They sure did Brent. I remember seeing those kits advertised in USDB magazine when I was young. This one was designed in such a way that the fork tubes smacked into the bottom of the sliders exactly when the springs reached coil bind. Also the spacer/cone is too small diameter to work as a hydraulic cushion when they bottom.
The other problems with it on this bike are that it made the stand too short and the front brake cable too short.
It added about 25mm to the fork travel.
Whoever fitted it did a good job making sure it couldn't unscrew in service and let the fork sliders and wheel fall off which would have been a distinct possibility. I had to warm up the Loctite to be able to unscrew them.

[David Lahey]

That was an old trick for making more travel in the forks. So I agree with BrentJ. I`ve done it on a set of TM 250 forks when I had to put them on my RM125S as the TM forks had less travel. Wow that was a long time ago!

Ah fond memories.
The mods to those TY250 damper rods were done when the bike was owned by Stephen Gall and it was being used for cross training

[Kurt]

It would seem that you have a vice for vices Greg. What is the collective noun for a group of them?

In SWM news, the raging 347 TF3 has completed its first Enduro a couple of months ago after a full rebuild.
The course was described as quite flowing at the riders briefing with a lap of around 20Kms in the foothills of the tiers to the central plateau in northern .
After about 3.5 Hrs to complete one lap I decided that the flow must have been referring to the mud in the large bog holes.
In one particularly deep hole I could walk away from the bike and it would stay upright glued in position.

The fortnight leading up to the event it had rained almost constantly causing very deep creek crossings and the track to be mud, mud and more mud.
After the first deep creek crossing I passed a couple of KTM's riders engaging the bilge pumps.

An unexpected problem I encountered further out on the course was the swingarm. The riders before me cut extremely deep ruts with the knobbly rear tyres. Their bikes being newer monoshock designs could fit inside the width of the groove.
I would get there and feel the back end of the motorcycle rise up and we would be firmly beached with the swingarm sitting on either side of the rut.

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[Mark K]

It would seem that you have a vice for vices Greg. What is the collective noun for a group of them? .....

Would that be a clasp of vices? Perhaps a clutch of vices, or even a hold of vices? I would have suggested a grip of vices, but I fear a vice grip is just a step too far over the line.

[Rod]

Hey Kurt, nice enduro SWM'er. Your Trials experience would have put a lot to shame in those conditions but what's going on with those side panels on your SWM, they look like they're encroaching on the seating area, looks irritating when seated.

[Kurt]

Mark - I had played with the idea of a squirrel grip of vices but that would be even further over the line.

I didn't notice the side panels Rod but i'm not 100% sure they are correct for the model as they had been replaced before I got it.
All the other plastics are the original Acerbis pieces - extremely brittle and spider cracked all over. it almost looks like broken tempered glass.
I had a good battle the next Enduro after this one with a bloke on a YZ250 four stoke, He would pull away in the flowy areas and I would reel him back in through the technical areas with tight turns and logs and I could also close in down the straightaways with the 350cc of 2 Stroke power.

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

So good to see you with your foot down in both photos Kurt, love the SWM!

It would seem that you have a vice for vices Greg. What is the collective noun for a group of them? .....

Would that be a clasp of vices? Perhaps a clutch of vices, or even a hold of vices? I would have suggested a grip of vices, but I fear a vice grip is just a step too far over the line.

Kurt and Mark, wouldn't it be a Clamp of Vices?
Just sharing that I carry my vices around with me and happy that I don't have any Human vices!

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